Friday, October 30, 2026

All Treats and No Tricks

With Halloween just around the corner, Americans are stocking up on candy for trick-or-treaters—and, inevitably, themselves. But when it comes to what we’re buying, one candy has a remarkably strong hold on the country.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups ranked as America’s most popular Halloween candy in Instacart’s 2026 report, topping candy purchases in 40 states and Washington, D.C.
Chocolate dominated the rankings, accounting for seven of the 10 most popular candies, while Skittles joined the top 10 and Milky Way dropped off the list.
Utah bought 67% more candy than the national average, the most of any state, while Anchorage, Alaska, led U.S. cities at 56% above average.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These are soft-baked, mini peanut butter cookies topped with Reese’s peanut butter cups and baked in an appetizer-size pan. They’re exactly like your favorite peanut butter blossoms but with a peanut butter cup!

The recipe inspiration comes from sallysbakingaddiction.com and makes about 28 cookies.

Cook's Notes:

Be sure to use Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I used my own peanut butter cookie recipe and then followed her directions for assembly. They are the perfect bite-sized cookie. Scroll back to the previous post; one of these yummy cookies was placed on the plate with the soup.

You will need an appetizer tin for this recipe.
Place 26 pieces Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in freezer until ready to use.

Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, not crunchy
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bag 10.5 oz Mini Reese Peanut Butter Cups

Directions:

Combine sugars and butter. Mix well and add in peanut butter with eggs and vanilla. Mix well and set aside.
Mix dry ingredients in another bowl with a whisk. Then add to wet ingredients and beat well.
Batter will be sticky, so freeze the batter for an hour to firm it up.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Flour your hands and roll dough into small balls and place in muffin tin.

Bake for 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately place a Reese Peanut Butter Cup in the center.

Refrigerate the pan with cookies for 10 minutes to set the chocolate.
Remove pan from refrigerator; let cookies sit in pan for 10 minutes.
Immediately remove cookies and place on a wire baking cooling rack.

If and I say "If" you have candy leftover can try Witches Brooms

Black Magic Cake

Since I posted this recipe in 2019, I have found many uses for the batter. It's perfect for cupcakes, in a bundt pan, and making a layer cake using 2- 8-inch round pans. It's a moist cake and can be made the day before. So good😊

Easy Spider Cupcake using the Black Magic Cake batter.